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My working day at AGRU

We accompanied our apprentice Tobias during a normal working day at AGRU. Honestly, he reports on his activities and gives insights into apprenticeship at AGRU.

Hello, my name is Tobias and I have been working at AGRU since September 2015. In Bad Hall, I complete an apprenticeship for the plastic former. Previously, I had completed trial days in several plastic processing companies. At AGRU I liked it by far the best. The fact that people here are friendly with each other has counted for me the most. The area of responsibility is also exciting.

Normally I work in the factory 1 in the injection molding. We produce molded parts that are used in piping as fittings. These fittings are manufactured in injection molding machines. In this case, the respective plastic (usually polyethylene or polypropylene) is liquefied and injected into the injection mold, under pressure. The molded part cools down in the tool and hardens. After opening the tool, I take out the finished fitting. At AGRU we manufacture fittings in the weight range from a few grams up to 73 kg.

08:15 - These black fittings are made of the thermoplastic polyethylene. I manufactured them myself in Plant 1 in an injection molding machine!

Today I work in plant 2 in the welding department. Here I have to weld the fittings with pipes and produce so-called "testing trees". These are short, closed piping systems that are later checked for leaks under pressure and temperature. Welding is a cool thing. It's a completely new job for me and I get a feel for how to install a complete piping system on the job site as well.

First, I'm polishing the fitting and the pipe. To do this, I have to clamp the pipe and the fitting exactly in the butt welding machine. Planing ensures that the end surfaces to be welded become completely flat and fit together without a gap.

09:00 - Today I have to work very carefully. Highest concentration is required when setting up the welding machine.

09:20 - The welding parameters, which are the information on the required welding temperature, the contact pressure between the two parts and the time, I can find inside the manual and then set on the machine..

09:40 - Then all I have to do is lift the welding mirror. This is a 200 °C hot disk, which liquefies the plastic at the previously planed ends.

11:00 - The same steps I did in parallel with pipes and fittings made of polypropylene on a second welding machine. The finished testing tree is the result.

14:00 - in the test department, my testing trees are then filled with compressed air and submerged under water. The result of my work - injection molding and welding - is put directly to the test.